What would you do if you didn’t have the opportunity to go to school?

This is the question that more than 8,000 out-of-school youth from the province of Capiz face daily.

According to the City Social Welfare and Development Office or CSWDO, this figure is mostly made up of young men and women ranging from the age of 15 to 24 years old, and the lack of financial resources is the most common reason for dropping out of school.

It is also common for these teens to turn to exploitative work just to earn a living, as well as to get involved with addictive vices like smoking and taking illegal substances.

Because of these alarming facts and figures, the CSWDO, together with the Pag-asa Youth Association or PYAP, has put up a program which aims to give these out-of-school youth a better future.

“In 2006, we started offering two programs that cater specifically to the needs of school drop-outs and the differently-abled youth,” says PYAP representative Angeline Aguilar.

One program is called Teenbayan Educational Center where teenagers are taught how to interact well with other people. Peer counseling is also offered.

“Here in Teenbayan, I learned how to be a good leader by interacting with other youths and mingling with them. The peer counseling helped me a lot, too,” shares Marie Hazel, 20.

Another program is known as SCALA, which stands for Sharing Computer Access Locally and Abroad, and provides free training on basic computer literacy skills for the youth who have physical limitations and disabilities.

“I’ve seen how the program has helped them gain self-confidence and maturity. Because of the skills that they now have, they are no longer ashamed to apply for work,” observes SCALA trainer, Jaime Aguirre.

For many of the youth who are under these programs, Teenbayan and SCALA have brought new beginnings to their lives.

Elreen May, 18, says: “I have given up on myself before. I felt hopeless because I didn’t have the means to go to school. But because of this opportunity that I have been given, I now have new hope.”

Aguilar says that from the first two batches that graduated from both programs, many are now employed both in government offices and private companies.

The local government of Capiz and the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWD) are now also extending their help and support in order to strengthen these programs.

Just recently, Pasundayag 2009 or “Pakitang-Gilas 2009” was held in Roxas City, where the youth from the center showed their newfound talents and skills in dancing, drawing, and singing, just to name a few.

This event served as a true testament to how successfully Teenbayan and SCALA have provided confidence, new hope and a better future for these out-of-school youth.

Bureau: Capiz Bureau of the Kabataan News Network (KNN)
Reporter: Sarah Jane Valiente
Cameraman: Anthony Lopez
PA: Jeny Pearl Infante, Bernadette Salvador, Jenn Estabillo

(Editor’s Note: This is a story done by young reporters, ordinary 14 to 19 year olds whose nose for news are being trained by Kabataan News Network (KNN) by encouraging them to conceptualize, write, shoot and narrate docu-style videos. The stories are inspired by the reporters’ family, friends, environment and the society as a whole, providing youthful insights and reported in an unpredictable and disarming way. To watch the videos, go to kabataannews.com. Students and Campuses Bulletin is a proud partner of KNN)